euro 2008 chat

[presto]

first up wales :hahaha losing 5-1 at home to slovakia :laugh

check rep vs san marino
most bookies arn't even offering odd's (well i only checked b365)
you couldn't even back the check's on betfair and there was £100K+ waiting on 1.01 :yikes: - never seen that before.

england vs macedonia
the 1.15 looks pretty good on england. doupt i will be playing though, maybe if it stays 0-0 for a while i may have a dabble if the odd's raise enough.

not a fan of backing the away team in internationals, so that rules out a lot of games, and i am not too keen on really low odd's.

SERBIA vs belgium @ 1.84 look's just about the best value (the serbia and montenegro team was basically just serbia), but probably won't be playing.

[Win2Win]

I'd back England, and when they score trade out...I don't trust the bugger :laugh

[wb]

Ireland to beat Cyprus is 1/2, but the way things have been going, I think I'll just watch.

[Win2Win]

Probably safer going >2.5 goals on England, no idea of the odds though.

How come they never have internationals at Orient's ground?
:hoho: :23_116_6[ :hoho:

[presto]

well i must say macedonia have been far the better team so far, and i still don't fancy the 1.42 on england 1.6 minimum to tempt me.

scotland 0-0 france - a good result so far for the jock's.

[TheOldhamWhisper]

England :ermmm :giggle

[Fadetoblack]

I'm ashamed at what I saw tonight. To be beaten 5-2 by germany or Italy would be embarrassing. This is on a whole other scale.

We buy jersies, we buy tickets, we pay for flights and hotels we get into fights with people in pubs, and for what? Professional footballers. Players who don't really have to put in much of an effort, cause they're gonna get paid either way. The green jersey? Sure it's just another game.

Why should we devalue ourselves by watching these premadonnas every week, kissing their badges, pretending they're loyal to a team, and then head off to Chelsea at the end of the season. On the front of Hello Magazine with a girl who they probably cheated on dozens of times in the last week.

Players like O Shea and O Brien should be thanking God each night that they're professional footballers, what I saw of them tonight makes me want to vomit. They should apologise tomorrow. To all those who went to Cyprus, and to all those who watched at home.

We go to these matches and we say, "Ah fair play to him, he came over and signed my bit of paper.". bollox. These players are so privilged to be where they are and they think they're doing a fans a favour by signing a bit of paper. Remember, these people wouldn't be where they are without the fans. The only good thing in football these days is the fans.

I miss the days of the big match on ITV. I miss the days of Big Jack. I miss the days where players played their hearts out cause they knew they were playing for the green army. Personally, I blame those Sky. Of course we'll have all those who'll come on and say, oh but without Sky we wouldn't have so much soccer on the box....so what? There's probably a match going on a few miles from your house.

England had a pathetic draw. Ireland made a fool of themselves, the worst performance in the history of Irish Football. What does that say about the Premier League? It says they're not very good afterall. Put them all on a couple of grand a week and see what happens.

For those who think that the GAA should be professionalised, tonight was a great advertisement for it never going in that direction.

That's it. To hell with them. McGeady is still young, his hunger for the game has yet to be fulfilled by the money, and that showed tonight. As for the rest of them... I hope they take a long hard look at themselves tonight instead of sampling the Cyprus night life.

[presto]

didn't see the ireland match - but i agree whole heartedly with what you say fade. that's what stopped me going to the football a few seasons back, i just lost my passion for matchday due to said reasoning.

as for england - we were the 2nd best team to be honnest, and macedonia actually impressed me. most teams would play for the draw, but they came to win, there football was confident, flowing and pretty decent.

[radders]

Great result :) ... i

n fact almost unvelievable, but had 4/1 win and 8/1 1-0 (betting with the heart usually doesn't work out!), so added to Keith's original A+ & A bets , yesterday turned out to be a pleasant birthday ...

regret not going up to Scotland or downtown Congleton now ..... :( ....

but another nine games to go, and no doubt we'll throw it away against Faroe Islands or Lithuania ... but for now .... FANTASTIC! :Helooo

Radders

[Win2Win]

Faroe Islands or Lithuania

Just glad they're not in England's group, tough bloody teams them for us :ermmm

[wb]

A great post fade. Could'nt have summed it up better myself. There was more passion in the ladies football final last sunday (seriously)

[Fadetoblack]

http://dynimg.rte.ie/0000a2fa0c1m.jpg

Steve Staunton and his only fan.

[Elbarto]

Well said fade, but may i play devils advocate and say that it aint just down to the players and management has to take some flak to. Lemme just say from the off i never thought steve staunton was the man for the job, he was just a coach at walsall, and during that period they were playing crap.

He took over and some people thought it was a good move, one of those moves that if it comes off its a master stroke if it dont then your screwed.

Steve came into the job and said his aim was 2010. A managers job is to motivate players and make sure they are playing there best. How can the fans expect this when the manager is saying i couldnt give a rats ass about euro 2008. If that was his plan just tell the FAI that, dont tell the players and fans. Players play better when they are under pressure and know that a mistake could be their last. What steve has done is say lads play crap for this qualifying tournament and it doesnt matter as the real test is getting to 2010. I might be over reacting in my thoughts but, i think players work well under pressure and not when they know their places are safe for another 4 years.

His squad selection as well was a laughing stock, lee carsley a seasoned pro playing well for everton, does he include him NO. Mattie Holland another seasoned pro, maybe not playing as much but has the know how does he include him, NO. Then choosing Paddy Kenny for goal, i think dean kiely should have been given a ring and said dean, we are stuck for an experienced keeper, any chance you could come back for us. If he said no, well at least we asked and nothing could be done.
Ireland was known for playing with their heart on their sleeves and giving 110% they mightnt be the best but at least we tried our damndest. Under Kerr we had no game plan A, and then no plan B. Everyone was all over the place. Under staunton, the team has lost something more, the heart seems to be gone from their performances. Telling a team that you aint bothered if they qualify for the next tournament, isnt going to instill confidence, or boost performances. A survey was done recently with 67% of the people saying the felt Stan isnt the right man for the job, thatll have gone up after yesterdays shambolic performance.

Ireland mightnt have the players they had years ago, good only knows where damien duff has disappeared to. His last good game IMO for ireland was against spain in the 2002 world cup. The lead in a team comes from the top, and if you have a manager who cant pick a proper squad, and then encourages the players by telling them, their places arent under pressure till qualifyers for the world cup in 2010 your doomed.

"Fail to prepare, prepare to fail", is a famous motto i once heard. Stan is living up to it.
IMO he isnt a leader and thats what you need for a manager, does anyone think the same type of performance would have been put in if Roy Keane was on the side line? HELL NO. Ive read stories of players for sunderland wanting to impress roy, because they know how good a player and leader he was/is and respect him. They go out and bust a gut. I didnt see the same thing of the players trying that on saturday.
The players have to accept some responsibility but the leadership and drive for the team comes from the manager, who i think isnt showing any and doing a hack job

[vegyjones]

How come they never have internationals at Orient's ground?
:hoho: :23_116_6[ :hoho:

There was a ladies international at Orient a few years ago actually :lickme

[Win2Win]

There was a ladies international at Orient a few years ago actually :lickme
Says it all really :laugh